“People are coming into the city already drunk and even getting out of taxis holding bottles of wine and vodka and downing them before going into clubs.

“Obviously when people are heavily drunk they are a danger to themselves and are more likely to get caught up in rows or fights.

“The breathalysed-on-entry scheme is designed to reduce alcohol-related crime. A similar project was trialled in Norfolk last year and was found to reduce the number of disorders at venues by around a third.”

The breathalysers differ from traditional road-side tests with clubbers blowing into the device from a few inches away rather than placing their lips on a tube.

The clever devices can also be held over the top of containers to determine if its contents are alcoholic.

He added: “People who ‘pre-load’ are no benefit for clubs as within half an hour of being allowed in they are likely to be drunk, don’t spend money at the bar and are more likely to get into trouble.

“It creates a vicious circle because if venues aren’t making money they may be tempted to put on drinks promotions that lead to more drunkenness.

Venues will complete a simple log noting the time of the test, age of person, their gender, the reading and if the person was allowed entry.

Councillor Barbara Dring, Chair of Birmingham City Council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee, said: “I welcome the use of breathalysers at the entrances of pubs and clubs, if they deter people from trying to gain entry when they are drunk.

“Individuals who do this are putting themselves at risk and are more likely to end up in trouble by the end of the night.

“Birmingham’s Purple Flag award recognises the safe and diverse nightlife that is on offer. This scheme will help to improve it further.”